The present invention relates to a technique of trimming burrs which have formed on a metallic material during its machining and, more particularly, to a burr trimming method and apparatus which are optimum for removing burrs remaining on testing pieces for use in a shock testing, and an automatic machining system of such shock testing pieces.
As a method of removing burrs, formed on a metallic material during machine cutting, without excessively trimming or scratching the manufactured article, manual operations which have conventionally been in practice have been the most efficient, and presently no method or apparatus for automatically removing the burrs has not been proposed.
In, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 61-260998, an apparatus is disclosed for removing flashes which have formed on a resin mold. Such apparatus has a cutter, which moves along a portion of each mold where the flashes have formed, provided with a vibration generator and a heating coil, so that the heated cutter is vibrated to remove the flashes.
In consideration of the above-mentioned apparatus which has been used conventionally, vibration may be utilized for removing burrs which have formed on a metallic material during its machining. It is, however, difficult to automatically control positioning of the cutting tool for completely removing the burrs alone without excessively trimming or scratching the machined material on which only little tolerances are given in manufacturing.
In the shock test of a metallic material, testing pieces having prescribed grooves or notches formed therein are used. It is necessary for this test to prepare a number of these testing pieces having a certain shape, and therefore the testing pieces are produced by an automatic machining system wherein metallic materials are cut and divided into rectangular shaped pieces, and then, formed with U-shaped or V-shaped grooves by a cutter. Burrs are produced on the grooves during this machining and such burrs are not allowed to remain because the characteristics of the testing pieces are influenced by them. Heretofore, however, burr removing cannot be performed on any automation line, and as a result, the burrs remaining within the grooves are removed manually. It is desirable to automate the operation of completely removing the burrs so as to supply these testing pieces of uniform characteristics at a lower cost.